This leading manufacturer invested billions each year developing drugs for a broad spectrum of medical conditions. A sales force of some 3,500 representatives helped bring these products to the North American market. Every day, representatives called on physicians to introduce new ways to treat their patients' needs.
As a tool for informing representatives, the spreadsheet got the job done. But it didn't encourage - and sometimes even inhibited - conversation with the customer. For one thing, the file size was so large it took a minute or longer to look anything up. The spreadsheet required a laptop computer to use, making sharing awkward. And reporters had become so complex that navigating them was a chore. The company needed its sales team to sell, not struggle with data. There had to be a better way.
